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Monday, April 22, 2013

Misc VI

Wake in Another World
When an adventuring party sleeps they awake in a different dungeon. It is a real place, not a dream. When they sleep there they awake back in their first world. How long does this go on? What caused it? What interesting things can be done with alternating one-day time limits?

Next level of the idea is that when there is a TPK the party wakes up somewhere else, another world, and they are changed.

Construct Class
You are a statue. You start play with ~5 HD and all the related bonuses. You never go up in level, however. And you do not heal. I wonder if balancing power with a limited total amount of life would be an interesting challenge for experienced players.

Option one is to allow "upgrades" by purchasing enchantments and smithing/stone work. Essentially you could "level" by using gp as xp.

Class as Race
Entering a profession in this weird world changes you physically. Wizards gradually become wizened, sexless things. Fighters grow in size and brawn up. Rogues become thinner and harder to see in shadows. Changing class might require surgery or at least prolonged sickness.

Class as Lifestage
In this weird world everyone starts as a rogue. When they die, they transform into fighters. And when they die in that form they transform into wizards. The order can vary according to your taste, but all are stages in the life arc of one creature. What will the final death reveal?

Thanks a bunch. Yeah I have thing for brass mages and such. It is easy to imagine the game without classes, essentially all abilities become skills and feats. But this was me trying to imagine what the game would be with no levels. And the option came from thinking what if XP for gold was literal in the game.

I hope someone tries it and tell me how it works. Maybe I'll offer my players a chance to try it too.

So for "Wake in Another World", what happens if they keep watches and are conscientious about tracking their surroundings? My initial reaction is to adapt Stephen King's "The Langoliers" for this world.

"Class as Lifestage" would make for an interesting monster. Seems kind of slaadish.

Thanks for the comment. I was thinking that the time limit might add some tension, either because "wow, this is a great place to be let's gather all the resources we can," or because "we are going to die, let's survive till we can sleep." Making the destination different each night would add to the sense of disorientation and stress, but keeping it the same location would let players plan and strategize. I haven't read the Langoliers, though.